Could Xenon Gas Help Prevent PTSD Symptoms?

Researchers from McClean Hospital have found that xenon gas could help prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), particularly for soldiers who may be suffering from the mental health issue.

The gas, which is used for anesthesia and diagnostic imaging, could help to reduce the high number of military veterans affected by the debilitating disorder. Statistics show that one in three returning soldiers will be diagnosed with a serious form of the condition.

"In our study, we found that xenon gas has the capability of reducing memories of traumatic events," said Edward G. Meloni, PhD, assistant psychologist at McLean Hospital and an assistant professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, in a news release. "It's an exciting breakthrough, as this has the potential to be a new treatment for individuals suffering from PTSD."

Researchers began to see if they could alter the memory process by introducing xenon gas, hoping to potentially make new memories by replacing traumatic ones or making them less negative. 

"We found that a single exposure to the gas, which is known to block NMDA receptors involved in memory formation in the brain, dramatically and persistently reduced fear responses for up to 2 weeks. It was as though the animals no longer remembered to be afraid of those cues, " he added.

"From here we want to explore whether lower xenon doses or shorter exposure times would also block memory reconsolidation and the expression of fear. We'd also like to know if xenon is as effective at reducing traumatic memories from past events, so-called remote memories, versus the newly formed ones we tested in our study," he added.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal PLOS ONE.